Men and women, I have been specifically trained in counter-cult apologetics and I get letters and comments like this every single day, and most particularly this is the identical reaction every time any of us dare touch their golden Buddha Rob Bell.
In fact Rob Bell himself has been quoted as saying of his critics:
“But I love everybody and you're next!” he says, giggling. “That's how I respond to criticism.” Bell is and does the unexpected. Then again, he says, so does God.
Yes, Rob; He does. And I love my Lord and since He hates what you’re doing, so I guess I’m next. You see, as a pastor-teacher Jesus tells me to – Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. So it might just wipe that smirk off your face when I tell you that this is no game with me because here little rob says things here that should be shocking to anyone who cares for young people at all:
I believe that people have been missing the point of the bible and rob bell has brought it back in a new way. That new way is seeing scripture through jewish eyes. He is reinventing how to do church. Being a theology major, Rob bell has been a big inspirationon how to bring the text alive and get rid of a fundelmentalist (sic) view of the bible that causes hate in are world.
The Designs Of Neo-Liberal Cult Comes Emerging
Beloved, I ask you; can’t you see Satan’s hate for God’s Word and the blatant attack on Reformed theology here? I tell you in the Lord that now is the time to put down silly differences over petty labels and hear what has just been said. Just look the influence of cult leaders like Brian McLaren and Rob Bell here: “people have been missing the point of the Bible.” Yea, hath God said? The absolute first thing any cult leader does is to kick out the authority of the Bible. What do think you just read? “Rob Bell brought it back in a new way.”
See the circular reasoning here. Says who? And the reply from someone caught in this cult will be to appeal to one of its leaders and say e.g. “Rob Bell has brought it back.” All he’s doing is repainting the neo-orthodox existential view of Scripture. But this will only lead right back down the same old broad road of liberalism to the Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, and the neighborhood of “I pick and choose the parts of the Bible I happen to like.” And even if I have to stand alone, I defy any of these leaders of the Emergent Church cult to pick up their Bibles and refute me.
Not that they will ever win that argument which is actually with the Lord and not me anyway, but they will also have to argue with Dr. Martin’s work in Christ as well. Author of The Kingdom of the Cults, the classic book on cult apologetics, Martin also said on page 12 of his The Rise of the Cults:
A cult, then, is a group of people polarized around someone's interpretation of the Bible and is characterized by major deviations from orthodox Christianity relative to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith,…
It should be obvious to anyone God has granted eyes to see that Rob Bell and Guru Brian McLaren and the Emergent Church fit the above definition perfectly. And forget the Emergent howls of their classic hue and cry: “But we’re so divisive.” Rubbish! Because before their was “diversity” there was a day when this Emergent rebellion first began. Consider this from Herescope:
Do not be deceived. The “emerging church” movement did not spontaneously erupt. It was a well-funded and well-organized movement from its very inception. It appears to have been fashioned by a handful of corporate business leaders who wished to create a counter-cultural evangelical movement. The intended purpose appears to have been identifying and recruiting potential young leaders for comprehensive indoctrination. One of the chief outcomes has been the further degradation and deconstruction of traditional Christianity.
If you really wish to understand how a young man like rob got twisted this way then you need to focus on the neo-orthodox (at best) view of Holy Scripture most–if not all–of these new breed of so-called “Christian” mystics have. I tell you the absolute Truth, while on paper these vipers may give lip service to the authority of Scripture, they should know that they only fool themselves because the Lord knows that in practice it is not unlike the apostate Church of Rome: Experience=tradition; and spiritual experience=interpretation for these new Gnostics in The Ecumenical Church of Deceit.
Perhaps you think these words are too harsh. I wonder what would the average Christian today would have said to John the Baptist? Men and women, you should know that what I have just taught has already more then been backed up by numerous other fine ministers of the Gospel, though they would not choose to speak with this much vitriol. However, this is no concern of mine because I know Who sent me.
Also I am already on record e.g. Take Off The Gloves that there’s no time left to play spiritual patty-cake while having pointless “conversation” with people who only reinterpret what is said. And not only that but they also deny that anyone can know with certainty what God has said in Scripture anyway. So why in the world are we wasting any more of the Master’s time with such a fruitless tactic? I offer this as a plea for us to finally throw these unregenerate rebels and Spiritual Pedophiles out of God’s House!
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Wow. How can you condemn like this? "I offer this as a plea for us to finally throw these unregenerate rebels and Spiritual Pedophiles out of God’s House!" You don't have that power or that right. Did not Jesus love even the tax collectors? Tax collectors of Jesus' day commited acts of thievery and fraud! They made a living from their sin! And you're saying that we need to throw these "spiritual pedophiles" out of God's, house? Or are you saying we need to throw them out of God's love and grace? Or are the two intertwined? Is the price of a different take on Christianity the price of condemnation? Tell me, when you believe to have felt the presence of God truly, as I'm sure you have at least once, does the hair stand up on the back of your neck? Sure, God's presence is in our midst constantly, but when something draws it to your attention, does your skin crawl? Mine does. When I acknowledge the presence of the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE the power I feel is enormous. When watching Rob Bell's "NOOMA" videos and reading his books, I feel that power. In the fourteenth video in the serious, entitled "Breathe", Rob says that, in Hebrew, the name they give god is "Yah-veh". In Hebrew, that name is not even pronouncable, because it is merely the sound of breathing. In other words, our existence is proof of God's. Every time we breathe, we reinforce that proof. The first thing we do when we're born is take a breath, or we die. The first word we say is God's name. The last thing we do before we die is take our last breath. "Or is it that when we can no longer say the name of God, we die?" Watch that video and tell me your skin doesn't crawl. How can such power spring from what you claim to be such an evil? The LORD's first commandment is to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Why do we have to make religion so difficult, as you are doing? Christianity is simple. Love. When you love, you practice Christianity. What does it matter if the world decides to title this movement a cult? This world is not my home. If the power in the message can be felt, and changes lives, is it not a good thing? If the message causes people to LOVE, how can it be an evil? As far as I'm concerned, Orthodox Christianity sometimes places Love on the back burner. I grew up in an East Texas Church of Christ, don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. We're about as Orthodox as they come. And I've seen people expelled from our midst for raising their hands in praise... raising their hands. Don't take authority where it is not given, but Love always.
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
John 15:19 (New International Version)
Thank you for volunteering to be the perfect example for this verse. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Rob Bell and his Emergent Cult (Pt.2)
Posted On: 12/02/06 01:19:41 PM
Age 35, MO
Ken,
I have spent a lot if time the week doing research on Rob Bell. My husband and I had heard of him and got his Nooma series and Velvet Elvis, which I have not read in its entirety. To this point I have really liked his approach. Its fresh. My husband and I have grown up in church and have weathered many church splits and have had some of our deepest hurts come from people in church. So Rob's approach has been appealing. Still, I wanted to know if in fact all the "to do" about Rob was true. So, I started doing some research. I have read most of your articles and I have looked at Brian McLaren and emerging church info. The issue I have is that is it all so inconsistant. I contacted someone who has credibility with me, Sean McDowell. I wrote him about my concerns and he responded so kindly and informatively. One of the things he said, "The EC is not a cult, but there are some people involved in it that are questioning orthodox Christianity (but not all of them)".
However, as I stated my interest isn't really with the emerging church, it is with Rob Bell. But I wanted you to know that I have thoroughly done my research. I have also listened to a Rob Bell sermon online. The conclusion I have come to is that I am not convinced that he is a false teacher. When I listened to his sermon, it competely resonated with me. I won't go into it as I feel you will just disagree with me no matter what I say. Still, as I mentioned I have grown up in church and my husband and I serve in a leadership role in our church. I am not a baby Christian that can be easily swayed away from my faith by some smooth talker. I am a little offended at your approach in some of your articles because I feel like you make the people who have listened to Rob out to be brainless followers. I refuse to be put in your box. I consider myself to be a "thinker", and "analyser". I have been in legalistic churches and places where they believe God can only work "this" way. I have had too many life altering encounters with the Lord to box him up so neatly. Which leads me to another point that you mentioned in one of your articles. You said,
"One of my initial reactions was this is a social gospel, which you stated as well. The other impression I started to get was that he really has no concept of what exactly his job as a minister of the Word is. He has such a casual, almost irreverent demeanor that makes one think that Rob has a more buddy view of Christ."
I have such a issue with this because I know too many people that live their lives not knowing that Jesus wants a PERSONAL relationship with them. Jesus it my buddy. He calls me friend. We have an intimate, personal relationship like none other in my life. I can be who I am because he loves me no matter what. Sin is sin, yes. But Jesus did pay our penalty.
It seems to me you have forgotten our greatest command as Christians, to love.
We must love above all. Judgement comes from God. Rob Bell, just like you, is going to have to give an account for his deeds. I want to see people won to Christ. But I can't get them there with scare tactics. "We will win them with our love".
I have seen no love and mercy from you in the posts with people who disagree with you. Only with the people who think your great and send you encouraging messages. Where is your mercy to those who are questioning your words? I believe we should question everything and test it against scripture. So I will with your articles as well.
I will still analyze Rob Bell and continue to watch for problems with his teachings, but I don't believe that "just doing church the way we have always been doing it" is necessarily the right way either. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Rob Bell and his Emergent Cult (Pt.2)
Posted On: 09/24/06 11:36:14 AM
Age 25, KY
I have heard a lot of people dismiss Rob Bell in private, but I thank you for bringing the topic to a public forum. I get the feeling that I'm "not supposed to like Rob Bell," but I'm not sure why. After reading your article, I was a little confused as to exactly why you claim that the Emerging Church is a cult, its leaders being Bell, et al. You imply that Bell has "kick[ed] out the authority of the Bible," but you only offer as proof, the comment made by someone in no way affiliated with Bell, except that he enjoys Bell's teachings. You claim that they pick and choose which parts of the Bible to accept, but you give no examples. As per your definition, from which "cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith" have they deviated? Additionally, your claim that the Emergent Church is the brainchild of "corporate business leaders" is ...shocking. If true, this claim would remove any mask from leaders of this "cult." What exactly is Rob Bell's neo-orthodox view of Scripture? That he places experience above Scripture? If Bell's teachings are false, help me to shine light on it and show it for what it is. Click here to reply to this post
Re: Rob Bell and his Emergent Cult (Pt.2)
Posted On: 09/03/06 08:03:15 PM
Age 54, MN
How can I ever thank you for telling it like it is?!!! My former church became involved with John Wimber and eventually led to Dallas Willard and now Rob Bell. The pastor was once a dynamic preacher but recently I took the liberty of visiting the church to see where they were at (my friends still go there). Needless to say I was appalled! The music was no different than your typical rock group. What really saddened me was when he got up and focused on a quote from a famous person rather than the Word of God. Then he even went so far as to say his "former way of belief while growing up..." (which by the way, was baptist) which he has now evidently renounced. I was SICK. And people are buying this theology(?)/philosophy hook, line and sinker! The changes in his preaching and style of worship have sadly dramatically turned 180 degrees! What's worse is that no matter what I try to refute, my friends refuse to listen. We truly have to be in the end times for apostasy is rampant! And, I fear there's no turning back. Thank you for the brutal truth of these teachers. May God have mercy on us all. Click here to reply to this post
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